October 15, 2025
For European carriers, the EU261 rules set a maximum delay of 3 hours for flights arriving in or outside the EU, after which financial compensation of up to €600 per passenger is due. These rules were arbitrarily set by a court without proper consideration of how airspace and airlines operate in reality.
While intended to protect passengers, in practice, passengers often end up getting to their destination later and with more hassle. Up to 40% of delays longer than 3 hours could be reduced if airlines were given a 5-hour window.
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October 15, 2025
From three to five hours: Why an extended delay window actually gets passengers moving faster
Factsheet
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